NAICS 72

Accommodation and Food Services in Goldsboro, NC

Metro Market Score 61.8 (Difficult), ranked #205 of 298 metros. 238 establishments, 4,335 jobs.

Metro Market Score 61.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national accommodation and food services average.

⚡Rising Wages

Goldsboro's accommodation and food services sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 7.0). That contraction, combined with a 61.8 market score, puts this metro in the lower half for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

68.5

LQ: 1.14

Rank #204 of 298 metros

Wage Competitiveness

2.0

$19,539 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 7.0

Employment growth index

Rank #278 of 298 metros

Wage Pressure

81.6

YoY wage change index

238 Accommodation and Food Services Firms in Goldsboro

238

Establishments

-1.2% YoY

4,335

Total Employment

-4.4% YoY

$19,539

Average Annual Wage

+6.5% YoY

1.14

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within North Carolina

#12 of 14

accommodation and food services metros in state

North Carolina state rank

#2 of 51

for accommodation and food services entry risk

vs State Median

+8.4

worse than median (53.4)

Goldsboro vs North Carolina Statewide

How this metro's accommodation and food services market compares to North Carolina overall. The state ranks #2/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Goldsboro	NC Statewide
Overall Score	61.8 Difficult	23.4 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#205 of 298 metros	#2 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Goldsboro

Information 10.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 18.3 Finance and Insurance 27.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 29.8 Other Services 35.6 Construction 36.6 Administrative and Support Services 37.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 41.0 Retail Trade 45.0

Accommodation and Food Services in Other North Carolina Metros

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton 30.8 #16/298 Durham-Chapel Hill 40.0 #49/298 Raleigh-Cary 42.8 #64/298 Burlington 45.6 #92/298 Greensboro-High Point 49.3 #111/298 Wilmington 50.4 #117/298 Rocky Mount 52.0 #131/298 Winston-Salem 53.4 #142/298 Greenville 54.0 #149/298 Jacksonville 59.4 #179/298

+ 3 more metros. View all in North Carolina →

Accommodation and Food Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Goldsboro's 61.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Kokomo, IN 61.9 #206/298 Lexington-Fayette, KY 61.6 #204/298 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 61.6 #203/298 Hot Springs, AR 62.0 #207/298 Redding, CA 62.2 #208/298 Kennewick-Richland, WA 62.2 #209/298 Lafayette, LA 62.3 #210/298 Reno, NV 61.3 #202/298 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 62.4 #211/298 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA 61.1 #201/298

Accommodation and Food Services in States Bordering North Carolina

State-level entry risk for accommodation and food services in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

South Carolina 29.2 #9/51 Tennessee 29.5 #13/51 Virginia 33.6 #16/51 Georgia 43.6 #35/51

Browse Accommodation and Food Services in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for accommodation and food services across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Goldsboro's accommodation and food services sector, the employment growth component (93.0) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Goldsboro, NC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment